Acklington

55°18'00"N001°38'30"W

Runway: 01/19 - 1388x45meters/1518x50yds - tarmac/asphalt
Runway: 05/23 - 1737x45meters/1900x50yds - tarmac/asphalt
Runway: 12/30 - 1105x45meters/1208x50yds - tarmac/asphalt


RAF Acklington station crest

Acklington airfield (RAF Acklington, also known as Royal Flying Corps Station Southfields) was an airfield 430 kilometer north of London.
The airfield was first built as Southfields, a poorly equipped World War I aerodrome with no permanent units attached. Poorly documented, the airfield may have been used by 77 Sqn, responsible for the region. After World War I ended, the airfield was soon forgotten and put back to agricultural use.

In the mid 1930s lands were aquired for the construction of a new airfield. Located just south of the village it was named for, RAF Acklington opened in December 1937. That day No. 7 Armament Training Camp of No. 25 Group arrived at the airfield. In April 1938 it was renamed 7 Armament Training Station and in November it was renamed again to No.2 Air Observers School. Their original Seal aircraft were augmented by Henleys, Whitleys and a few Overstrands. Using a weapons range at Druridge Bay, its main role was to house visiting squadrons for intensive air-to-air and air-to-ground firing exercises.

When World War II broke out the airfield was transferred to Fighter Command on 9 September 1939. In October 1939 the Gloster Gladiators of 607 Sqn were stationed at the base. It did not take long for Spitfires and Hurricanes to arrive at the airfield, though. On 30 January 1940 43 Sqn Hurricanes were the first of the base to earn a 'kill' when they shot down a He-111. During the Battle of Britain the fighters intercepted a Luftwaffe raid coming from Norway. Night figther operations became increasingly important from 1941, so Acklington switched to Defiants and Mosquitos. Two Polish fighter squadrons (315 and 317, flying Hurricanes) were stationed on the base for a few weeks in 1943. The base was heavily involved in training fro D-Day, but as soon as the squadrons moved out for the invasion, the base was reconstructed.
By the time a day fighter and a night fighter squadonr were stationed at the base in late 1944 it had been completely reformed. It now featured three paved runways connected by a perimeter taxitrack, 25 dispersals and 19 hangars. On 26 February 1945 Acklington saw the formation of 59 Operational Training Unit, a half sized OTU tasked with the training of fighter bomber pilots. Although 'half sized' it had 54 Typhoons and almost 20 trainers/target tugs (Masters and Martinets) at its disposal. The unit did not last however, and was disbanded after its first course.

In May 1946 No.2 Armament Practice Station moved to Acklington and was redesignated simply as Armament Training Station, Acklington. Its role brought many squadrons to the airfield for gunnery practice. The unit operated a diverse fleet of aircraft types, but was disbanded after 10 years in July 1956.
In 1957 the station again became a front-line fighter base. With 29 and 66 Sqn on the base it saw use of Meteors, Javelins and Hunters. It also housed 'B' Flight of 202Sqn flying Sycamores and later Whirlwinds in the Search And Rescue (SAR) role.
In 1960 the fighters left and the base was returned to a training role. No.6FTS's Provosts arrived in July 1961 in preparation for conversion to Jet Provosts. The squadron disbanded in 1968 and the base transferred to No.18 Group. Wessex helicopters of 18 Squadron joined 'B' Flight at the base.
'B' Flight was the final operator at the airfield when it was put on Care and Maintenance in 1972.
The airfield was sold off later that year.


92 Sqn posing in front of a Meteor during Armament Practice Camp, RAF Acklington, February 1953 (92sqdn.brushhouse.co.uk).


RAF Acklington, believed to have been photographed in the mid-1960s (University of Newcastle Upon Tyne).


A Whirlwind of 202Sqn 'B' Flight at RAF Acklington just before the station closed. The open cast mining is visible in the background (forums.diecast-aviation.eu).

As a result of open cast mining activities most of the airfield has disappeared. Although the mining company neatly refilled the lands it completely transformed the country side. Only the former logisitcs and accomodation site (now a prison) and the northwesterly taxitrack remain.


The location of the airport in 2009. The complex on the southeast is the former logistics site, today a prison (Google Earth)


The prison, located at the former logisitcs and accomodation site, still featured at least one of the airfield hangars in 2009 (Sunday Sun).

Thank you to Mr. David Martin from Andover, Hampshire, for correcting some information on 43 Sqn.